Episode 786: Develop Your Influence - Interview with Marcus Hall – Part 3
[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: [00:00:00] Thanks for joining us on episode 786 of the inspired stewardship podcast. Hi,
[00:00:07] Marcus Hall: [00:00:07] I'm Marcus hall, author of spiritual wealth, a 40 day journey to developing stewardship mindset. I challenge you to invest in yourself and invest in others. Develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent and your treasures to live out your calling.
[00:00:23] Having the ability to steward your resources is key. And one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the inspired stewardship podcast with my friend Scott Mader
[00:00:41] but listen, be ready. Be ready though, because if you're trying to live that lifestyle and you're professing that all of a sudden, when you talk about being a leader, eyeballs are on you now. And for a lot of folks, they're waiting for you to screw up so they can bring up, Hey, that wasn't appropriate there.
[00:00:55] But you've got to be, but you've got to be not competent, but yet you have to be in the right frame of mind [00:01:00] to be able to see that and go, you know what? You're right. Welcome
[00:01:03] Scott Maderer: [00:01:03] and thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcasts. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling and the inspired stewardship podcast.
[00:01:20] We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that you. Can impact the world
[00:01:36] today's interview with Marcus hall. I asked Marcus to share his definition of leadership, Marcus, and I also share a bit about humanity and how that can be related to stewardship. And Marcus also talks with you about contentment and how our stewardship affects our interactions with others. One reason I like to bring you great interviews.
[00:01:57] Like the one you're going to hear today is [00:02:00] because of the power in learning from others. Another great way to learn from others is through reading books. But if you're like most people today, you find it hard to find the time to sit down and read. And that's why today's podcast is brought to you by audible.
[00:02:16] Go to inspired stewardship.com/audible to sign up and you can get a 30 day free trial. There's over 180,000 titles to choose from. And instead of reading, you can listen your way to learn from some of the greatest minds out there. That's inspired stewardship.com/audible to get your free trial and listen to great books the same way you're listening to this podcast.
[00:02:44] Marcus hall is an Arthur and Christian financial advisor, helping families create and develop values-based planning, investment and giving strategies. His goal is to help people understand the biblical principles of stewardship, how to apply them to real life. And [00:03:00] fulfill God's purpose for their existence.
[00:03:02] He's gained valuable knowledge on the subject by obtaining the certified kingdom advisor designation and he desires to help people integrate their Christian values into their financial decision-making. Marcus spent the early part of his career as a broadcast journalist and was awarded. Multiple Alabama associated press awards for his anchoring reporting and videography of local high school and college sports events.
[00:03:26] His passion was finding that something special about local athletes, both kids and adults and sharing their stories with his audience. He now uses those same skills honed in the broadcast industry to teach others on the subjects of stewardship. Marcus is married to Christie and has three wonderful daughters.
[00:03:45] Welcome to the show, Marcus
[00:03:47] Marcus Hall: [00:03:47] man. And it's great to be here. Thanks so much for having me Scott.
[00:03:56] Scott Maderer: [00:03:56] So Mark, one thing that people often think of [00:04:00] as developing their influence is being a leader. So I've asked you a couple of weeks ago to define stewardship. How would you define the word leadership?
[00:04:11] Marcus Hall: [00:04:11] I believe being a leader is anytime that you have influence over how someone can act, how someone can believe something to be true or not.
[00:04:23] Anytime you have influence over someone in a situation like that, you are a leader in that situation. And so when you talk about leadership, I think a lot of folks think that leaves me out because I don't own a business or I don't teach a class, not a pastor or whatever. Quite honestly, if you have a group of friends, if you have children, if you have brothers or sisters, if you have coworkers where you are in every one of these situations, you have the ability to influence somebody else around you.
[00:04:53] And every one of these situations, you can be a leader. Now you can be a bad leader. You can be a good leader. You can be a spiritual [00:05:00] leader, but you have the opportunity to be a leader. What do you do with that responsibility that you're given?
[00:05:09]Scott Maderer: [00:05:09] What are the stewardship concepts that you highlight? And it's one I agree, I think is a key one is this idea of humility. And I will be really honest. I think it's one that I struggle with. The sense of pride is one that can show up in my life pretty often. So what does your book actually say about humanity and how we can achieve that?
[00:05:31] Even when we are indeed blessed by God, sometimes with success. In a field or in an area of our life?
[00:05:39]Marcus Hall: [00:05:39] I think that the ultimate humility that you can have the surrendering yourself to him, and that's what this entire book is about. And again, it's not a one and done situation. I'm having to surrender myself sometimes multiple times an hour or during the day, because I really enjoy being in on the throne of Mark's [00:06:00] life.
[00:06:00] And I really enjoy being able to say, I'm going to make these decisions and do things my way. And God has to remind me sometimes that's not my role. That throne has made for him. I joked with somebody the other day talking about this and that. Not only will I sit on the throne, but I've got the sector of the Cape to go with it.
[00:06:15] Sometimes buddy, I am decked out and ready to go. And I have to remind myself that I am designed for his purpose. I am designed for what he wants me to do in my life. And after surrender myself every day and say, you know what, God, listen, I have to do it, but I'm with you. I don't do it. Every day, I don't do it nearly as often as I need to, but that prayer needs to be a God.
[00:06:38] Please let there be less of me and more of you in my decision-making in the way that I act, the way that I think that the things that I do. And I think back to in enrollments 12, we are as Christians. We're not called to be better than anybody else, but we are called to be different. Then people who are not Christians, there should [00:07:00] be not just because we tell you we're a Christian, there should be some attribute and something about us that somebody says, you know what?
[00:07:08] You're different from some of the other folks, if you're living your life as it, because it's going to conflict with this world big time. And that verse in Romans 12 and Romans 12 is, do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And so we are called and it is a hard thing.
[00:07:24] To have the humility to say, listen, I'm not going to go along with what everybody else does and what I feel like I want to deal with what my desires are, but God, I'm going to read what your thoughts are. I'm going to read what you want me to be and how you want me to act and how you want me to think.
[00:07:38] And I'm not going to transform my thinking to this world. I'm going to transform my thinking to what you want in my life. That is ultimate humility in saying, please God, take my life and make it yours. And do what you wish and have me direct me along that path.
[00:07:55]Scott Maderer: [00:07:55] And I think Yeah, I'm reflecting on that idea [00:08:00] of people should be able to see, not just in what you say, but in what you do, how you live, the decisions you make, again, what you do with your time, what you do with your money, what you do with your family.
[00:08:13] What does that look like for you
[00:08:16] Marcus Hall: [00:08:16] as, as far as explain that question a little bit to me.
[00:08:20]Scott Maderer: [00:08:20] In other words you mentioned that if we've been transformed as Christians and we're living out our life in a Christian way, it's going to, people are going to notice. Yes.
[00:08:31] It's different. What think about your life and your history and your stewardship journey yourself. How are some ways that has shown up in your life?
[00:08:43] Marcus Hall: [00:08:43] I. I think in some of the things that you involve yourselves in some of the things that you may be don't involve yourself in. And just one of those random examples of, I don't drink alcohol.
[00:08:57]I'm not saying I hadn't in the past, it was [00:09:00] never a problem for me, but I was probably too, just too cheap. Quite honestly, but it really became a convicted thing at a certain point of I've never read a news article that started with, and the good thing happened because they were drunk. And so my character definitely doesn't get better if I start unwinding in those ways.
[00:09:18]And I start thinking more fleshly at that point. And so I made the decision just not to do that. And so I've been involved in different business in a business career for several years. It is very odd when you go to large gatherings, To be the one at the table who was very happy and content with the Coke zero or the diet Dr.
[00:09:35] Pepper or the bowl or the water when everybody else is getting their wine or their beers or whatever, or their or whatever it is. And that's just, that's never been a huge thing for me, but it's just something of why even go down that path. And so you have to be ready for for jokes or for different things.
[00:09:53] But you're noticed in a situation like that, for something as simple as that you're noticed in that atmosphere, but it also gives you a [00:10:00] chance if someone wants to say something about, and it gives you a chance to explain a little bit why I choose not to, and it's not to make someone else feel bad, it's just a decision I've made that I don't need to live.
[00:10:10] That way. I don't know. I don't need to do that in my life. So that's, that's a random example. That's kind of one from that angle, but I think even in, and trust me the way that I talk and the way that I think there are a lot of improvement that can be made. But I think in the way that I spend my time, sometimes I have friends who maybe aren't weekly church goers or don't see, or don't spend time with the word are, or are professed Christians, but don't really live.
[00:10:35] That lifestyle style, like I am trying to live. And so it is, it's pretty cool when you see, they apparently see a difference when they come to you for advice about certain things that I've been taken aback of sometimes not in a bad way, in a very good way of you've come to me with this question and not somebody else.
[00:10:56] Why is that? And it's because of the example that you're setting, [00:11:00] I believe. And this is not to Pat myself on the back. Or anything like that, but I think you can definitely set yourself apart, especially in groups when you're away from church. We talked about that in another conversation of the importance of living this launch style when you're not inside the four doors of the church, because everybody okay.
[00:11:16] Most everybody is going to act that way. Oh, Sunday mornings. Yeah. That number goes down tremendously on Monday morning when you're at work and throughout the week. And especially by the time the world beats you around for four or five days, by the time you get to Friday and Saturday night it's been a hard week.
[00:11:29] Are you still living that way? And no, I don't do that all the time. My prayers, that I'm hoping to be better and better at that. And I feel like I've reached a point of spiritual maturity that I am. I have grown in those areas over time, but I still digress and I still see an every day of my life. But I think that's a way that you can, by living that life, you're going to be different than those around you.
[00:11:50] If you're not speaking in a certain way or saying certain words or joking about certain things, it sounds silly, but you are going to stand out in some groups.
[00:11:58]Scott Maderer: [00:11:58] And if you're willing to call it out, if [00:12:00] somebody else says something that is. I'll give an example. When I worked in corporate and I called out a VP for making a racist joke and I was not a VP
[00:12:09] Marcus Hall: [00:12:09] that can be very treacherous
[00:12:10] Scott Maderer: [00:12:10] to your career.
[00:12:10] Yes. But, I basically said, I don't think that's an appropriate joke in this situation. And it wasn't, we weren't at work, but it was in the evening.
[00:12:23] Marcus Hall: [00:12:23] It really wasn't appropriate anywhere, much less that situation.
[00:12:25] Scott Maderer: [00:12:25] Yes. It was not inappropriate, but it was with a bunch of coworkers. It was not, apprentice and it wasn't.
[00:12:32] Yeah, exactly. It wouldn't have been appropriate anytime, but if, for sure what inappropriate now and and yeah,
[00:12:40] Marcus Hall: [00:12:40] and, but if you choose not to transform to this world, you will stand out and be ready for that, because that will be an opportunity either for you. To back down, but it's going to be an opportunity for you to speak up about why you choose to do that and not in a hurtful way of saying that you're better.
[00:12:55] I simply choose to be. And by
[00:12:57] Scott Maderer: [00:12:57] the way, I, the situation worked out fine. He [00:13:00] actually apologized for it. I did not get fired or
[00:13:03] Marcus Hall: [00:13:03] anything like that, but it is be ready. Be ready though, because if you're trying to live that lifestyle and you're professing that. Yeah. All of a sudden, when you talk about being a leader, eyeballs are on you now, and for a lot of folks are waiting for you to screw up so they can bring up, Hey, that wasn't appropriate there, but you've got to be, but you've got to be I don't know what the word, I don't want to say, man, and enough, but you have to be confident enough to not confident, but yet you have to be in the right frame of mind to be able to see that and go, you know what?
[00:13:29] You're right. You have to accept it too. That was wrong. And that itself. Just accepting blame. And not just because you got caught, but because you know, you're wrong, that in itself could be an example for someone else to see right. Right.
[00:13:44] Scott Maderer: [00:13:44] And again, I honestly, that's why this situation worked out is because I called it out and yeah, he admitted the wrong and by the way, we remained friends and everything was fine, but it was, it, yeah it did it was an uncomfortable situation.
[00:14:00] [00:14:00] So you also talk about a lot is about this idea of contentment. And I F first off, I think that's one of those words that we use a lot, but people don't necessarily always mean the same thing by it. But what does it mean to you for contentment and how it's not about necessarily having everything we want or even having everything go easy or be right.
[00:14:22] You know, what we were just talking about, what should contentment really mean to us as a Christian?
[00:14:28] Marcus Hall: [00:14:28] If my heart is really where it needs to be in my relationship with Christ, then I shouldn't be content just like Paul told me to be in his examples. I shouldn't be content. Meaning I should be satisfied with what Christ has given me and the position he's given me.
[00:14:44] No matter what my circumstances are. You mentioned whether it's good or bad, whatever it is. And so we saw an example of when, basically Paul said, as long as I have food and clothes, I should be content. Now how many of us would truly be content in our lives? If we just had barely enough to eat. [00:15:00] And enough to wear dirty or whatever, every, just for
[00:15:03] Scott Maderer: [00:15:03] full disclosure, the letter where he actually uses that passage, he's writing it from prison.
[00:15:07] Marcus Hall: [00:15:07] Exactly. And Lima says, listen, he says, I have seen, I have lived in both places. And we forget sometimes that yeah. But the writer of so much of the new Testament was a convictor of Christians to start with. And he actually was living up. It was a rich man for my financial launch style. He was living a good life and he was growing that corporate ladder.
[00:15:29] Basically, he was making his way up. He was well-respected. But by, by the folks on his side and he was making a name for himself. So he was living the good life. I'll put the air quotes. You can't see in a podcast that the good life during that point. But then he also tells us this perspective, worldly perspective.
[00:15:46] You're right. But now he's saying too, I'm in this jail cell walked in here and I can't get out. And, but too I'm content in this area. And so what he's telling us there is exactly what you said. It doesn't matter what our circumstances is. We can be [00:16:00] content and we should be content, whatever situation God has put us in.
[00:16:03] Now that doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to do other things and to grow that position in our lives. It just means that we need to be careful about why we want to grow. I've finally gotten to the point in my life to where, to the most part. I have learned, I want to help grow my business and to grow from the different areas of my life so that I can actually give more.
[00:16:26] And so I could do more and have more availability to have a, maybe a bigger audience or a bigger way to impact the kingdom. And it's gone. I'll be the first one to tell you that has not always, that has barely ever been. My goal in life is to have more for the purposes of how do I give? And I can honestly say that is a place I'm in now that it's not where I want it to be, but that is now part of when I'm planning for the business or planning for the things I want to do.
[00:16:52] It's how can I, it's the same with this book of how can I enlarge my platform based on what you've given me to work with? To [00:17:00] reach more people or to tell this story that you've really burned on my heart. I think the entire story of the Bible is important, but for some reason, God has given me the passion of stewardship.
[00:17:08] Just like you has you over the last couple of years. And that I felt like this is where he's putting me in his own with the background he's given me in broadcast journalism and the skills and the network that I have and working in TV and TV news and sports for six or seven years of my life for what he's had me in business and in my town here in Dothan, Alabama, and the people I know the experiences I've had.
[00:17:31] He, I have now seen this as this book has come out the way he has lined those things up to allow me a platform, not only to write it, but to now talk about it in a way he's like this, where he's using skills. I didn't think he would use that often, quite honestly from 20 years ago that he's not using skills in that way.
[00:17:47] For me to have conversations with you. Like this and, or to know how to reach you or to say, Hey, I think our audiences mesh a little bit. I think it might be worth us having a conversation and just allowing us now to just build that platform a little bit [00:18:00] larger, but that's what I'm content with where he has now, his contempt, where we had me a few years ago, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't want to do more for him either, and that he won't grow us to do more, but he's not going to trust us to do more.
[00:18:11] Until we T we show him we're willing to be trusted with the small things. He's not going to trust us with the larger things. We can go back to the the master and the servant and the talents leaving the talents for his folks there said, Hey, the expectation is take what I give you and build for the kingdom and steward this for the kingdom.
[00:18:28] And then I will give you more so that you can have a bigger responsibility in what I'm asking you to do here.
[00:18:35] Scott Maderer: [00:18:35] So thinking about thought beyond just our family and ourselves and our own relationships, how can we use these same stewardship concepts to do what you were just talking about and that's influence outside of our immediate circles in a positive way, whether it's our coworkers, whether it's something like you're doing with the book, how can we spread that message outside of just our own four
[00:19:00] [00:18:59] Marcus Hall: [00:18:59] walls?
[00:19:00] I think it comes back to a lot of what I talk about in the book. When it, when I talk about what is God, what is the purpose for my life? And I think that's one of the things with spiritual wealth. But with the book that I've written is I want to help folks who, if you're having a hard time understanding what does God want me to be doing?
[00:19:16] It's not that I'm going to tell you, but I'm hoping that the kind of the six or seven weeks that I help lead you through with the devotions will help you get more income in connection with God and with the spirit so that it might be unveiled to you. If you're really purposefully trying to look for that, trust me.
[00:19:30] If you are looking for a way. For God to use you, he will show you how to do that. Okay. And if you're not doing anything, just start doing sofas, you'll figure out your passion along the way, but just get involved and do something with church. And so whether it be that you have a knack with kids and can help with kids at church, or that you can ride or that you can plan parties or whatever it is, do it for him.
[00:19:54] That's the reason he's given you that gift in the first place is to use it for his purpose and [00:20:00] to use it in alignment with what he wants us to use it with. Now, I think you'll be able to see that at once you get involved and once you start really talking with him and dealing with that process, he's going to help.
[00:20:12] He's going to help you see where it is. He's leading you to go and it may be for a season. It may be, Hey, I need you here for. Six months, but I'm going to move you on somewhere else after that, but you may have needed this six months to prepare you for what's. Now the road, listen in writing a book, I had some skills in writing.
[00:20:30] I had no idea how to put a book together. If it was up to me, that book wouldn't be in a printed form right now. I have no idea how to get it there, but he equipped me along the way. I took the first step of faith and said, all right, after I fought with a little bit last year, all right, let's do this.
[00:20:44] I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing, but let's start this process. And so I started talking to my pastor, brought in another author in town he'd been through the process, helped kinda, he helped me along this way. And so he equipped me with the people. With the knowledge with everything I needed to [00:21:00] further this project along.
[00:21:01] And I think that there's even more things he has in store that I can't even see yet with this as far as extensions of what we're doing here, but it's just, I'm enjoying one of the things my pastor told me in this process was don't get ahead of yourself and make sure to enjoy where God has you. And really for the first time in my life or the first time in my life, I've been able to take on a big project for him.
[00:21:22] Without asking or kind of demanding quite honestly God, I'm willing to do that, but what's the end result here, right? What are we really shooting for? I need to know a game plan before this is the first time I've ever been able to put the right foot down in the left foot. It's in the air somewhere.
[00:21:37] And I'm really not sure where it's going to lay in it, but it's allowing me to meet people like you and to have experiences like this and hopefully to spread the word and help folks realize that this passion of mine, when he's laid on my heart, that this stuff is important and I want to help other folks see that too.
[00:21:49] Yeah.
[00:21:51] Scott Maderer: [00:21:51] Yeah. And it's the act of stepping out in faith. We connect the dots in reverse. You usually don't see the path until [00:22:00] after you've already traveled. It's like you were saying about skills that you have from 20 years ago that now all of a sudden show up and you're like, Oh, that's
[00:22:06] Marcus Hall: [00:22:06] why I did that.
[00:22:07]That has happened. That has happened continuously through this process and in many different points of my life where. You just looked back and it may be a few weeks on the road, but it may be 20 years on the road where you go, Oh, now I see it gone. It may not be till heaven with some things who knows.
[00:22:24] Yeah, I,
[00:22:24] Scott Maderer: [00:22:24] yeah. I keep a list. I've got a list of questions I want to ask.
[00:22:27] Marcus Hall: [00:22:27] Okay. I hear you.
[00:22:30] Scott Maderer: [00:22:30] Hey, I figured it out. I have a list, right? Yes, sir.
[00:22:37] You can follow Marcus on Facebook and Instagram as at stewardship Arthur, or find him on his website@stewardshipmindset.com. He's also over on LinkedIn is Marcus hall. All of course have links to all of these in the show notes as well. Marcus, is there anything else that you'd like to
[00:22:54] Marcus Hall: [00:22:54] share with the listener?
[00:22:56] I hope that what you take from the conversations we're having. And if [00:23:00] you're listening to Scott's podcast and stewardship must be an important topic in your life I just want you to be able to know, Hey, this is an important thing that we need to look at daily in our lives to make sure that we are aligning ourselves with the mind of Christ, that we are living the life that he wants us to live, and that we are growing one step closer to him each and every day.
[00:23:25] Scott Maderer: [00:23:25] thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listened, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you enjoy this episode. Please do us a favor. Go over to inspired stewardship.com/itunes rate.
[00:23:52] All one word iTunes rate. It'll take you through how to leave a rating and review [00:24:00] and how to make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so that you can get every episode as it comes out in your feed. Until next time, invest your time, your talent and your treasures. Develop your influence and impact the world.